News

Senate Panel Marks Up Defense Spending Bill

7/31/2013

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The
Senate Appropriations Committee's defense panel provided $516.4
billion in base funding and $77.8 billion for overseas contingency operations
in Tuesday's mark-up of the Pentagon's Fiscal 2014 budget request. "With
increasingly limited funds, this bill cuts waste, prioritizes department
spending, and puts a premium on readiness," said Sen. Dick Durbin
(D-Ill.), panel chairman, in the SAC's July 30 release. The mark-up provides
"substantial increases for readiness, depot maintenance, and facilities
sustainment, restoration, and modernization," states the release. This
includes adding $2.9 billion to restore shortfalls in areas like aircraft
flying hours, and $1.5 billion to address issues like shortfalls in depot
maintenance. The mark-up fully funds next fiscal year's F-35 strike fighter
procurement and development of the Air Force's future Long Range Strike Bomber
and KC-46A tanker. The senators approved a one percent pay raise for uniformed
military personnel and Defense Department civilians. The mark-up also provides
a $297 million increase in Tricare "to ensure service members aren't
paying more out-of-pocket costs for their health care," states the
release. The House last week passed its version of the spending
bill, appropriating $512.5 billion in base funding and $85.8 billion for OCO.